Gear-operated dual socket wrench



March 10, 1953 w. IMBODEN 2,630,731

GEAR-OPERATED DUAL SOCKET WRENCH Filed July 29, 1950 2 sI"lEETS-SHEET 1 VVZvsrozv .ZMBODEN,

INVENTOR.

March 10, 1953 w. IMBODEN 2,630,731

GEAR-OPERATED DUAL SOCKET WRENCH Filed July 29. 1950 V 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WAISTON IMBODE'N,

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iaten ted Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEAB-OBEBATED DUAL SOCKET WRENCH Winston Imboden, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 29, 1950, Serial No. H6520,

Claims.

This invention relates generally to wrenches and more particularly to a dual socket wrench which may be utilized to remove each of two interengaging nuts found in certain installations;

Such an installation is exemplified by the dual wheel mounting on heavy trucks. This mounting usually comprises a series of spaced studs on a peripheral flange formed integrally with the hub on the axle, which studs are adapted to extend through holes in the web sections of the inner and outer wheels. Sleeve nuts are screwed onto the studs to clamp the inner wheel to the hub. Outer nuts are screwed onto the sleeve nuts to hold the outer wheel in place.

since the outer nuts are usually tightened by a power-operated wrench and as it is not uncommon for rusting to occur, removal of one or both nuts where a power operated wrench is not available presents a problem which requires more than the utilization of ordinary wrenches. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the sleeve nut is normally provided with a beveled flange which is clamped between the two web sections of the wheels. Accordingly, the sleeve nut must be held against rotation when the outer nut is being removed, to preclude damage to the web section of the outer wheel.

In consquence, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved dual socket wrench which may be employed to loosen both nuts of a dual nut structure of the character described with greater expediency and less effort than heretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dual socket wrench which will positively effect rotation of one or the other of two rotatable socket members with a multiplied leverage, in each instance so that nuts which have become frozen, or are too tightly screwed on, may be loosened with consummate ease, and without damaging screw threads or parts held in place by means of the dual nut structure.

It is an additional object to provide a dual socket wrench which is of simple construction and consists of comparatively few parts.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown one form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a 2 limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is bestdefined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 isaside elevation of a dual socket wrench, which comprises the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the wrench, with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the wrench;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary partially sectional view showing the dual socket wrench as applied to the dual-wheel mounting on a vehicle for loosening an outer nut;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the wheel structure showing an applied position of the wrench;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 6, but showing the wrench in another position as when removing a sleeve nut;

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing the wrench as operated to loosen an outer nut; and

Figure 9 is similar to Figure 8, showing the wrench as operated to remove a sleeve nut;

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive it will be seen that a wrench embodying this invention comprises a tubular body member Ill having an axial bore I0 opening at one end of the body member, said bore being grooved or fluted part way of its length to form a polygonal nut socket II. An internal shoulder I2 formed in the bore ID at the inner end of the socket l'I limits the insertion of a cylindrical socket member I3 mounted for rotation in the bore I0. An axial stub shaft I4 projecting from a' wall I5 closing one end of the member I3, has a rotative bearing in an opening I6 in a plate or wall I! which closes one end of the bore III. A second nut socket I8 is formed in the member I3 and opens into the socket II in axial alignment therewith.

The socket member I3 is reduced in external diameterfrom a point near the outer end thereof to its opposite end and provided on this reduced portion with gear teeth I9, whereby member I3 becomes a hollow gear. The unreduced portion of the member I3 provides a bearing surface I3a contacting the wall of the bore I0, while the wall I5 bears on the closure plate II, whereby with the stub shaft I4, the member I3 is adequately provided with bearing means assuring free rotation thereto about its axis.

The body member ID is provided with a hollow arm or extension 2| formed integral therewith and open on the side thereof opposed to the plate I! which latter has an extension II for closing said open side. A driving gear member 22 of smaller diameter than the member I3, is mounted in the extension 2| so as to mesh with the gear teeth l9, there being integral and axial shaft portions 23 and 24 on opposite sides of the gear member 22 which are rotatable in openings 25 and 26 in the extension 2| and closure plate portion l1 respectively. Thus, the body member Ill, extension 2|, plate I1, and portion N form a housing in which are enclosed the :socket H, the socket member l3 and the driving gear member 22. After the members l3 and 22 are mounted in place, the plate is fixed as a closure on the body member I and extension 2 ,,a s here shown by being welded thereto.

The shaft portion 24 on the driving :gear 122 extends outwardly from the plate 1.1 and has ,an

end portion 24 of non-circular cross section 'to accommodate a conventional lug wrench .such as the wrench 21 shown in Figure 5, whereby the gear member 22 may be rotated foroperation of the wrench as will be hereinatter described.

From a consideration of this structure, it will be apparent that if the socket member I3 is held stationary, torque appliedas by a lug wrench to the shaft 24 will cause the gear member 22 to act as a planetary gear, moving around the socket member l3. The planetary movement of the gear 22 is transmitted directly to th bOdymember H] which then constitutes the operative wrench element with socket subject to use to loosen one of the nuts. The ratio ,of g ar diameters will determine the mechanical advantage obtained, this being a considerably multiplied leverage as here shown.

Conversely, if the bod-ymember |\0.is restrained against movement, torque ,applied to the gear member 22 will cause the socket member 13 to turn in the opposite direction as the operative Wrench element with the socket 18 subject to use to remove one of the sleeve nuts. The same mechanical advantage is achieved in this Op ration.

A practical illustrationof the operation ,of the wrench will now be described with reference to .the dual wheel mounting .shown in Figures -9. With particular reference to Figure 5 it will be seen that the mounting includes the series of studs 28 which extend outwardly from the peripheral flange 29 which is formed integrally with the hub 33. The sleeve nuts 31 with beveled flange portions 32, hold the web section ,33 of the inner wheel rigidly against the peripheral flange 28, while the'outer nuts 34 eIamp the web section 35 of the outer wheel in rigidengagement with the beveled flange portions .32 and the web section 33 respectively.

To remove .one of the outer nuts 34, the dual socket wrench is applied with the nutsocket engaging the outer nut 34 and with the outer nut socket l8 engaging the end of the sleeve nut 3| (Figure 8). This application is effected with the small gear member22 below the shaft l3, as shown in Figure 6.

Torque is applied by the conventional lug wrench 2"! .to the shaft extension 24 to cause the gear member 22 to turn counter-clockwise about the socket member 13, since the socket member I3 is held against rotation by its engagement with the sleeve nut. After the smalligear 22 has been turned sufficiently to loosenthe outer nut 34, the dual wrench maybe removed and the outer nut 34 unscrewed and removed :by handor with a conventional wrench. Inthis connection to loosen and remove the sleeve nut 3| it should be noted that the body member 1'0 and 15 its extension 2| may be turned sumciently, but less than one complete revolution, to losen the nut, before the extension 2| contacts the hub 30 and limits the turning movement.

After removal of the outer nut, the dual socket wrench may be utilized to loosen and remove the inner sleeve nut, which upon occasion may also be rusted or otherwise tightly aflixed to the inner wheel web section 33. The inner nut socket I8 is seated on the sleeve nut :31 (see Figure 9) and counter-clockwise torque applied to the small gear 22. This gear will move around the socket member 3 until the offset portion or arm 2| engages the hub 30, as shown in Figure 7, at which point the torque will be transmitted to turn the socket 13 in a counter-clockwise direc tion about its axis and relative to member ID, from the stud :28.

It will be understood that the above operation is described with reference to right-hand threaded mountings and that the dual socket Wrench may as well be applied to those mounts .Of opposite hand threads.

'I claim:

1. A dual socket wrench comprising: a tubular body member having a through bore axially thereof and means in a part of the bore providing a socket for a nut screwed onto a sleeve nut in turn screwed onto a stud carried by a structure, a rotary member mounted in the other part of said bore and having therein in axial alignment with said socket, a socket for reception of the sleeve nut when the latter is extended through said first named socket, gear teeth on the exterior of said rotary member, a hollow extension integral with said tubular member, extended laterally therefrom and openin into said bore, a driving gear rotatable within said hollow extension and meshing with the teeth on said rotary member; means on saiddriving gear adapted to be engaged with a tool for turning the driving gear, said extension being open on one side, a .wall closing said open side of said extension and one .end of said bore respeotively, and affordin access to said means for turning said driving gear; bearing ,portions on opposite sides of said driving gear, engaged with said wall and said extension respectively, and bearing portions on opposite ends of said rotary member, engaging said body member and said wall respectively.

2. A dualsocket wrench comprising: a tubular body member having a through .bore axially thereofand means in apart of the bore providing a socket for a nut screwed onto a sleeve nut in turn screwed onto a stud carried by a structure, a rotary, member mounted in the other part of said bore and having therein in axial alignment with said socket, a socket for reception of, the sleeve nut when the latter is extended-through first named socket, gear teeth on the exterior of said rotary member, a

hollow extension integral with said tubularmember extended laterally therefrom, being open on maintaining said rotarymember and said driving gear in place, stub shafts .on said driving gear ,inounted .in said wall and said ,extension respectively, cooperable bearing surfaces .on one end of said rotary member and in said bore respectively, said bore having a shoulder abutting said end of said rotary member, extending into said opening in said wall.

3. A dual socket Wrench comprising; an elongated tubular body member having a through bore; means forming a nut-receiving socket in a part of said bore; a rotary member mounted in the remainder of said bore; said rotary member having a nut receiving socket coaxial with the first mentioned socket; gear teeth on the outer periphery of said rotary member; a hollow extension projecting from one side of said tubular member; said hollow extension opening into said bore opposite said rotary member; a driving gear mounted in said hollow extension and meshing with said gear teeth; a wall fixed to said extension and said body member; said body member, extension and wall forming a housing enclosing said rotary member and said driving gear; and a driving shaft for said driving gear extending through said wall.

4. A dual socket wrench comprising: an elongated tubular body member having a through bore; means forming a nut-receiving socket in a part of said bore: a rotary member mounted in the remainder of said bore; said rotary member having a nut-receiving socket coaxial with the first mentioned socket; gear teeth on the outer periphery of said rotary member; cooperable annular bearing surfaces on the outer periphery of said rotary member and in said bore respectively; a hollow extension projecting from one side of said body member; said extension opening into said bore opposite said rotary member; a driving gear mounted in said extension and meshing with said gear teeth; a wall fixed to said extension and said body member, cooperable bearing portions on an end of said rotary member and said wall respectively; and a driving 6 shaft for said driving gear extending through said wall.

5. A dual socket wrench comprising: an elongated tubular body member having a through bore; means forming a nut-receiving socket in a part of said bore; a rotary member mounted in the remainder of said bore; said rotary member having a nut receiving socket coaxial with the first mentioned socket; gear teeth on the outer periphery of said rotary member; cooperable annular bearing surfaces on the outer periphery of said rotary member and in said bore respectively; a hollow extension projecting from one side of said body member; said extension opening into said bore opposite said rotary member; a driving gear mounted in said extension and meshing with said gear teeth; a wall fixed to said extension and said body member; cooperable bearing portions on an end of said rotary member and said wall respectively; cooperable bearing portions on said extension and said driving gear respectively; other cooperable bearing portions on said driving member and said wall respectively; and a driving shaft for said driving gear extending through said wall.

WINSTON IMBODEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,343,667 Evensen June 15, 1920 2,243,948 Eyrick June 3, 1941 2,275,633 Keiser Mar. 10, 1942 2,479,225 Gann Aug. 16, 1949 2,550,542 Factly Apr. 24, 1951 2,559,332 Wright July 3, 1951 

